Saschiz, Mureș County, Romania – Rural women from across Romania converged on the village of Saschiz on 30 October 2025 for a landmark event, “From Innovation to Political Action – The Voice of Rural Women”, organised under the FLIARA Project. The gathering successfully transformed local challenges into a national political agenda, advocating for a more inclusive and sustainable rural future.
Bridging Domestic Violence and Economic Exclusion
The dialogue was given significant institutional weight by the participation of key parliamentary figures. Alina Gorghiu, President of the Joint Parliamentary Committee “Romania Without Domestic Violence”, and Andrea Csép, MP for Mureș County and Vice-President of the committee, anchored the discussions by emphasising the critical link between gender-based violence and women’s exclusion from economic and political life in rural settings.
Ms Gorghiu stated, “The fight against domestic violence is not a private matter, but one of public safety. Rural women must not be left alone… they need protection, concrete support, and, above all, economic independence.” She referenced recent legislative efforts in Parliament to increase penalties for violating protection orders and to formally recognise femicide.
Ms Csép underscored the importance of community action: “Change can be built from communities – through networks of women who support and learn from each other. Equal opportunities must also reach rural areas.”
The presence of ECOLISE Co-President Claudian Doboș further highlighted the European dimension of the FLIARA project, which champions community-led innovation and female leadership as key drivers for sustainable change.
Calls for Systemic National Investment
Framing the policy discussions, Laura Albu, a gender equality expert, FLIARA innovator, and member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), called for a strategic and systemic investment in women’s empowerment.
“We need a national programme for civic education and women’s leadership in rural and disadvantaged communities,” stated Ms Albu. “Without a consistent investment in women, in women’s associations and cooperatives working at the grassroots level, we will never achieve genuine development or a sustainable life in rural Romania.”
This was followed by Anastasia Oprea, FLIARA Project Manager at ECOLISE and representing Romania, who presented national findings and policy recommendations developed through extensive consultation with rural women innovators.
The subsequent roundtable, “From Local Initiatives to National Policies”, moderated by Laura Incze, partner of FLIARA at ELARD, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Rural Network, the FILIA Center, and Anca Marcu, the first woman mayor of Cojocna and a FLIARA Ambassador. The discussion established a shared objective: the establishment of a national network of rural women to translate local expertise into public policy and build sustainable infrastructures of care and solidarity.
Innovators as Agents of Transformation
Central to the Saschiz event were the FLIARA women innovators themselves—countrywomen, entrepreneurs, activists, and local politicians—who have co-created the project’s knowledge and policy recommendations. Their work exemplifies FLIARA’s core belief that sustainable rural innovation is rooted in cooperation, care, and shared local knowledge.
Speakers included Stela Zamoiu, a seed saver safeguarding biodiversity, and the event’s host, Florentina Călugăr, who detailed how local women’s groups are actively reclaiming visibility.
Ambassador Anca Marcu provided a powerful testimonial on her journey from community organising to political office, stating, “Leadership can grow from the roots of the community and translate into public action.”
The day concluded in a contemporary şezătoare (women’s circle), fostering an atmosphere of connection and mutual trust. Anastasia Oprea summarised the forward-looking sentiment: “The future of rural Romania is written with women—through solidarity, care, and the courage to turn personal experience into collective action.”
The event was organised by ECOLISE and ELARD Knowledge Hub, with support from the Center for Mediation and Community Security and local partners in Romania. The partnerships forged are intended to form the human infrastructure for a national network capable of shaping new forms of cooperation and political participation in Romania.
